NMHU Arsenic and Physicochemical Parameters in Water and Stream Sediments, 2011 - 2012

The Jemez Mountains, which are known for containing one of the largest
volcanic craters in the world have been experiencing the effects of global climate
change over the past several decades. The two most noticeable impacts of climate
change in the area are the decreased amount of annual precipitation received, which
has decreased by 3 inches over the past 50 years, and the increased temperatures,
which have increased by approximately 20F since the 1970s. These two changes result
in large decreases in fresh water runoff entering the rivers and streams in the
area. If climate change consequences continue as predicted for the future it can be
speculated that geothermal springs will become the major contributor of freshwater
to the streams instead of snowpack runoff. There have been many studies conducted in
this area concluding that the groundwater, geothermal seeps, and springs of the area
contain large amounts of heavy metals, most importantly arsenic. Around the town of
Jemez Springs, concentrations of arsenic have been found to range from 50 to 1700
ppb, in the Jemez. Currently, it is not known how much arsenic in the streams is
solely due to the contribution by the geothermal springs, or how much of this
arsenic is taken up by stream sediment or biota. It is also speculated that arsenic
concentrations are susceptible to change with climate. So it is beneficial to
understand how the distribution and fate of these concentrations vary seasonally, so
inferences can be made on how stream water and sediment concentrations will change
due to climate.